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June 30, 2022

Anna Murray 

Australian beekeepers in New South Wales’s Upper Hunter region are waiting for updates after a deadly parasite was discovered in hives near the Port of Newcastle on June 22.

The parasite, also known as the Varroa Destructor, will begin destroying the hive as soon as it enters, killing bees and their larvae and breaking down the hive until it dies. Heavy varroa mite infestations in European honeybees had resulted in a number of diseases that weakened and reduced populations, ultimately leading to colony death.

A statewide emergency order went into effect on June 28 at 6 p.m., with the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) taking control of all beehives across NSW to limit the spread of the deadly parasite mite Varroa destructor.

The DPI said in a statement that the 10-kilometer (6.2 mile) emergency zone remains in place, with eradication plans in place to treat hives within that zone. The DPI also stated that a 25-kilometer surveillance zone was in place, with state and federal authorities treating hives within that area.